The last few NBA seasons have been very tumultuous for Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving. He has found himself in hot water more than once, turning himself into someone that franchises are incapable of being able to trust.
With the Brooklyn Nets, Irving’s tenure was full of disappointment. Whether it was a self-inflicted issue or an injury, he was on the sidelines a lot. The Nets could not trust him to stay on the court, which began the souring of their relationship.
When it became clear that a long-term deal was not going to be coming from Brooklyn, Irving sought out other options. A trade request was made last offseason, but nothing came to fruition as the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be the only interested party. Ultimately, the Nets opted to hold onto him and try making things work.
During the season, another trade request came. This time, the Nets found a willing taker as they completed a deal with the Mavericks. Upon his arrival in Dallas, the team’s performance took a nosedive as they ended up missing the playoffs.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Irving entered the offseason as the most polarizing free agent. Would anyone sign him to the kind of long-term deal he was seeking? While his market wasn’t on fire, he ultimately re-signed with the Mavericks. The sides agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal, which shocked a lot of people.
One of the people surprised by the agreement was NBA great turned analyst, Charles Barkley. In a recent appearance on Bill Simmons’ podcast, Barkley revealed how he felt about Irving remaining in Dallas.
“I was surprised the Mavericks did that (re-sign Irving),” Barkley said. “I would have did a sign-and-trade to try to rebuild my team…I actually thought the Mavs were going to do a sign and trade.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Getting more pieces to round the roster out around Luka Doncic would have made sense. Alas, two need to tango for the Mavericks to work out a sign-and-trade.
Given how cold Irving’s market was both times he requested a trade and in free agency, it is fair to assume that not many teams were knocking down the door to complete a sign-and-trade. The Mavericks did what they could to reload and reshape the roster around their dynamic backcourt, as they are hoping for better results in the 2023-24 season.
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